Food adulteration

Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has penalised 18 shops Tk 56,500 in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions in December last year for selling and manufacturing adulterated food items. Eight mobile courts of the BSTI Rajshahi regional office in association with local administration conducted drives in different parts of the two divisions and found the shops selling substandard food items, violating the rules and regulations.

It is disturbing to note that adulteration of food items has jeopardized the food safety situation in the country. There are very few food items that can be taken safely. Consumption of adulterated food items is exposing the people from various strata of life to health hazards. In fact, people are hostage in the hands of the dishonest traders who are thriving cashing in on the helplessness of the former. Thousands of people are taking these not knowing what a danger they are inviting for themselves. The members of the law enforcement agencies conduct drives once in a blue moon. After that things go back to the square one.   

There are syndicates for adulterating food items. They have connections with the powerful quarters and hence they can dodge the law and punishment. It is the consumers who bear the brunt of the situation. Besides, there are scores of impoverished people who make a living by selling substandard food items near the streets and pavements. Consumers of these food items are mostly the people of low income groups, particularly rickshaw-pullers. They have hardly any choice regarding intake of food. The ingredients for making these food items, including water, are not at all safe for health.

The sellers of the low quality foods should be brought under the vigilance net in the interest of public health. Besides, proper enforcement of the Consumers' Rights Protection (CRP) Law could be the vital means of protecting the consumers' rights with freeing people from affecting by any food poisoning and other contamination. There is an urgent need of bringing all the businessmen and others concerned under the awareness programme to stop food adulteration. Awareness should also be created against consumption of such unhygienic and unsafe foods. Social resistance should be built against the food adulteration so that nobody dares to commit such crimes.

 

Food adulteration

Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has penalised 18 shops Tk 56,500 in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions in December last year for selling and manufacturing adulterated food items. Eight mobile courts of the BSTI Rajshahi regional office in association with local administration conducted drives in different parts of the two divisions and found the shops selling substandard food items, violating the rules and regulations. It is disturbing to note that adulteration of food items has jeopardized the food safety situation in the country. There are very few food items that can be taken safely. Consumption of adulterated food items is exposing the people from various strata of life to health hazards. In fact, people are hostage in the hands of the dishonest traders who are thriving cashing in on the helplessness of the former. Thousands of people are taking these not knowing what a danger they are inviting for themselves. The members of the law enforcement agencies conduct drives once in a blue moon. After that things go back to the square one. There are syndicates for adulterating food items. They have connections with the powerful quarters and hence they can dodge the law and punishment. It is the consumers who bear the brunt of the situation. Besides, there are scores of impoverished people who make a living by selling substandard food items near the streets and pavements. Consumers of these food items are mostly the people of low income groups, particularly rickshaw-pullers. They have hardly any choice regarding intake of food. The ingredients for making these food items, including water, are not at all safe for health. The sellers of the low quality foods should be brought under the vigilance net in the interest of public health. Besides, proper enforcement of the Consumers Rights Protection (CRP) Law could be the vital means of protecting the consumers rights with freeing people from affecting by any food poisoning and other contamination. There is an urgent need of bringing all the businessmen and others concerned under the awareness programme to stop food adulteration. Awareness should also be created against consumption of such unhygienic and unsafe foods. Social resistance should be built against the food adulteration so that nobody dares to commit such crimes.